List of African Catholic Saints and Blessed

List of African Catholic Saints and Blessed

This compilation includes African saints and blessed individuals recognized by the Catholic Church, their life stories, feast days, and last words where available. The list focuses on notable figures from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and those of African descent, reflecting the continent’s rich Christian heritage.

1. Saint Augustine of Hippo

  • Life Story: Born November 13, 354, in Thagaste (modern-day Souk Ahras, Algeria), Augustine was of Berber descent. Raised by his Christian mother, Saint Monica, he initially pursued a secular life, embracing Manichaeism and living with a concubine, with whom he had a son, Adeodatus. His intellectual journey led him to skepticism, but through the prayers of Monica and the preaching of Saint Ambrose, he converted to Christianity in 386, baptized in 387. Ordained a priest in 391 and later Bishop of Hippo (modern Annaba, Algeria), Augustine became a prolific theologian, writing Confessions and City of God. His works shaped Western Christianity, addressing grace, free will, and the Trinity. He died during the Vandal siege of Hippo in 430.

  • Feast Day: August 28

  • Last Words: Unknown, but his writings reflect his final focus on God: “Too late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new.” (Confessions, Book X)

2. Saint Monica

  • Life Story: Born around 331 in Thagaste (Algeria), Monica, a Berber Christian, married Patricius, a pagan Roman official. Despite his temper and infidelity, her patience led to his conversion before his death. Monica’s greatest trial was her son Augustine’s wayward life. She prayed tirelessly for 17 years, following him to Rome and Milan, where he converted under Saint Ambrose’s influence. Monica died in 387 at Ostia, Italy, en route back to Africa, content with Augustine’s faith. She is the patroness of mothers and wives.

  • Feast Day: August 27

  • Last Words: “Nothing is far from God, and I have no fear that He will not know where to find me at the end.” (Reported by Augustine in Confessions, Book IX)

3. Saint Josephine Bakhita

  • Life Story: Born around 1868 in Darfur, Sudan, Bakhita was kidnapped at age 9 by Arab slavers, who named her “Bakhita” (meaning “lucky”). Sold multiple times, she endured brutal treatment until purchased by an Italian consul in 1883. In Italy, she worked as a nanny and encountered the Canossian Sisters in Venice. Baptized in 1890 by the future Pope Saint Pius X, she took the name Josephine. Joining the Canossian Daughters of Charity, she served as a cook and doorkeeper, known for her kindness and miracles. She died in 1947 in Schio, Italy, canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

  • Feast Day: February 8

  • Last Words: “Please, the chains are so tight. Please loosen them.” (Said in delirium, recalling her slavery)

4. Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions (Martyrs of Uganda)

  • Life Story: Between 1885 and 1887, 22 young Catholic converts (aged 13–30) in Uganda were martyred by King Mwanga II for refusing his sexual demands and remaining faithful to Christianity. Charles Lwanga, a catechist and leader of the royal pages, baptized many before their deaths. They were burned alive or speared, singing hymns as they died. Canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964, they symbolize African fidelity to Christ. Notable martyrs include Saint Kizito, the youngest at 13.

  • Feast Day: June 3

  • Last Words (Saint Kizito): “Goodbye my friends, we are on the right path.” (Said as he was burned alive)

5. Saint Mark the Evangelist

  • Life Story: Traditionally identified as the author of the Gospel of Mark, he was a companion of Saint Peter and founded the Church in Alexandria, Egypt, becoming its first bishop. Born in Cyrene (modern Libya), he preached in North Africa, establishing Alexandria as a Christian center. Martyred around 68 AD, dragged through the streets, his remains later rested in Venice. His African roots connect him to early Christianity’s spread.

  • Feast Day: April 25

  • Last Words: Unknown

6. Saint Antony of the Desert

  • Life Story: Born around 251 in Egypt, Antony inherited wealth but gave it away after hearing Matthew 19:21. He lived as a hermit in the desert, praying and battling temptations, becoming a model for monasticism. His life, recorded by Saint Athanasius, inspired countless monks. Antony died in 356 at age 105, revered for his asceticism.

  • Feast Day: January 17

  • Last Words: Unknown, but Athanasius reports he urged disciples to “live as though you were to die tomorrow.”

7. Saint Athanasius

  • Life Story: Born around 296 in Alexandria, Egypt, Athanasius was a bishop and Doctor of the Church. A fierce defender of the Nicene Creed against Arianism, he endured five exiles for his orthodoxy. His writings, including On the Incarnation, shaped Christian theology. He died in 373, a pillar of early Christianity.

  • Feast Day: May 2

  • Last Words: Unknown

8. Saint Simon of Cyrene

  • Life Story: From Cyrene (modern Libya), Simon was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross on the way to Calvary (Matthew 27:32). His act of service made him a symbol of compassion. Tradition suggests he and his sons, Alexander and Rufus, became Christians. His African origin ties him to the Passion narrative.

  • Feast Day: Not officially assigned; often venerated on Good Friday

  • Last Words: Unknown

9. Saint Maurice and the Theban Legion

  • Life Story: Maurice, an African general from Thebes (Egypt), led the Theban Legion, a Christian unit in the Roman army, around 287 AD. Stationed in Agaunum (modern Switzerland), they refused to sacrifice to pagan gods or attack fellow Christians. Emperor Maximian ordered their execution. Maurice and nearly 6,600 soldiers died as martyrs.

  • Feast Day: September 22

  • Last Words: Unknown, but tradition attributes to Maurice: “We are your soldiers, but also servants of the true God.”

10. Saint Perpetua and Felicity

  • Life Story: Perpetua, a 22-year-old noblewoman, and Felicity, her pregnant slave, were martyred in Carthage (modern Tunisia) in 203 AD during Emperor Septimius Severus’ persecution. Perpetua’s diary, one of the earliest Christian writings by a woman, recounts their imprisonment, visions, and courage. Felicity gave birth in prison, and both were killed by beasts in the arena. They are patronesses of mothers.

  • Feast Day: March 7

  • Last Words (Perpetua): “Stand fast in the faith, and love one another.” (To fellow Christians before her death)

11. Saint Cyprian of Carthage

  • Life Story: Born around 200 in Carthage (Tunisia), Cyprian was a wealthy rhetorician who converted to Christianity around 246. As Bishop of Carthage, he led the Church through the Decian persecution, emphasizing unity and penance. Martyred by beheading in 258 under Emperor Valerian, his writings on the Church remain influential.

  • Feast Day: September 16

  • Last Words: “Thanks be to God.” (Said before his execution)

12. Saint Fulgentius

  • Life Story: Born in 462 in Thelpte (Tunisia), Fulgentius served as a tax procurator before embracing monastic life. Influenced by Saint Augustine, he became Bishop of Ruspe, Tunisia, promoting orthodoxy against Arianism. Exiled by Vandal kings, he returned to lead his diocese until his death in 533.

  • Feast Day: January 1

  • Last Words: Unknown

13. Saint Gelasius I (Pope)

  • Life Story: Born in Rome to African parents around 410, Gelasius served as Pope from 492 to 496. He asserted the primacy of spiritual authority over temporal power and opposed the pagan Lupercalia festival. Known as the third African pope, he contributed to the Gelasian Sacramentary (though not directly authored by him).

  • Feast Day: November 21

  • Last Words: Unknown

14. Saint Victor I (Pope)

  • Life Story: Pope from 189 to 199, Victor, born in Africa (likely North Africa), was the first African pope. He standardized the date of Easter and promoted Latin in the liturgy. His firm leadership addressed early heresies like Monarchianism.

  • Feast Day: July 28

  • Last Words: Unknown

15. Saint Miltiades (Pope)

  • Life Story: Pope from 311 to 314, Miltiades, of African descent, led the Church after the Edict of Milan legalized Christianity. He received the Lateran Palace from Emperor Constantine, marking a new era for the Church.

  • Feast Day: December 10

  • Last Words: Unknown

16. Blessed Isidore Bakanja

  • Life Story: Born around 1887 in Congo, Isidore converted to Catholicism at 18, baptized in 1909 by Trappist missionaries. Working on a Belgian rubber plantation, he was flogged for wearing a scapular and sharing his faith. Tortured for months, he died on August 15, 1909, forgiving his persecutors. Beatified in 1994.

  • Feast Day: August 15

  • Last Words: “Tell them I am dying because I am a Christian.”

17. Blessed Marie Clementine Anuarite Nengapeta

  • Life Story: Born in 1939 in Wamba, Congo, Anuarite joined the Holy Family Sisters. During the 1964 Simba rebellion, she was kidnapped by rebels. Refusing the advances of a rebel leader, she was beaten and killed, forgiving her attackers. Beatified in 1985 by Pope John Paul II.

  • Feast Day: December 1

  • Last Words: “I forgive you, for you do not know what you are doing.” (Echoing Jesus’ words)

18. Blessed Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa

  • Life Story: Daudi (1902–1918) and Jildo (1906–1918), young catechists in Uganda, were martyred during a tribal conflict. Teaching the faith in Paimol, they were speared to death for refusing to abandon Christianity. Beatified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

  • Feast Day: October 18

  • Last Words: Unknown

Notes

  • Completeness: The list is not exhaustive due to the numerous early African martyrs (e.g., Alexandrian Plague Martyrs of 257 AD) and undocumented saints.

  • Last Words: Many last words are unrecorded, especially for early saints, as historical accounts focus on their deeds rather than final moments.

  • Sources: Information is drawn from Catholic sources, including Catholic Online, National Catholic Register, and Wikipedia, cross-referenced for accuracy.

  • African Context: Africa’s Christian heritage spans North Africa’s early theologians (e.g., Augustine, Cyprian) and Sub-Saharan martyrs (e.g., Uganda Martyrs, Bakhita). The Church recognizes over 60 African saints, with many more venerated locally.

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